biostudies-literatureFernandez-Izquierdo LAgencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo1954https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9967862biostudies-literatureUnknown28(4)The development of photoelectrode materials for efficient water splitting using solar energy is a crucial research topic for green hydrogen production. These materials need to be abundant, fabricated on a large scale, and at low cost. In this context, hematite is a promising material that has been widely studied. However, it is a huge challenge to achieve high-efficiency performance as a photoelectrode in water splitting. This paper reports a study of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of hematite nanocrystalline thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting, with a particular focus on the effect of the precursor-substrate distance in the CVD system. A full morphological, structural, and optical characterization of hematite nanocrystalline thin films was performed, revealing that no change occurred in the structure of the films as a function of the previously mentioned distance. However, it was found that the thickness of the hematite film, which is a critical parameter in the photoelectrochemical performance, linearly depends on the precursor-substrate distance; however, the electrochemical response exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior. A maximum photocurrent value close to 2.5 mA/cm² was obtained for a film with a thickness of around 220 nm under solar irradiation.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)CVD Growth of Hematite Thin Films for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Effect of Precursor-Substrate Distance on Their Final Properties.PMC9967862FONDEQUIP EQM170087FONDEQUIP EQM150101CONICYT-ANID National Doctorate ScholarshipMillennium Institute on Green Ammonia as Energy Vector MIGA, Millennium Science Initiative Program/ICN2021_023FONDECYT 1201589Del Rio RDuran BFernandez-Izquierdo LSpera ELHevia SAMarotti REDalchiele EAfalseCVD Growth of Hematite Thin Films for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Effect of Precursor-Substrate Distance on Their Final Properties.The development of photoelectrode materials for efficient water splitting using solar energy is a crucial research topic for green hydrogen production. These materials need to be abundant, fabricated on a large scale, and at low cost. In this context, hematite is a promising material that has been widely studied. However, it is a huge challenge to achieve high-efficiency performance as a photoelectrode in water splitting. This paper reports a study of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of hematite nanocrystalline thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide as a photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting, with a particular focus on the effect of the precursor-substrate distance in the CVD system. A full morphological, structural, and optical characterization of hematite nanocrystalline thin films was performed, revealing that no change occurred in the structure of the films as a function of the previously mentioned distance. However, it was found that the thickness of the hematite film, which is a critical parameter in the photoelectrochemical performance, linearly depends on the precursor-substrate distance; however, the electrochemical response exhibits a nonmonotonic behavior. A maximum photocurrent value close to 2.5 mA/cm² was obtained for a film with a thickness of around 220 nm under solar irradiation.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Feb2025-04-20T00:20:15.19Z2025-02-18T23:57:29.114ZS-EPMC99678623683894210.3390/molecules28041954